Light show to wash Park Conservatory in psychedelia

The Conservatory of Flowers light display, a part of the Citywide Summer of Love 50th anniversary, is tested before it's Wednesday night debut on Monday, June 19, 2017 in San Francisco, Calif.

The Conservatory of Flowers light display, a part of the Citywide Summer of Love 50th anniversary, is tested before it's Wednesday night debut on Monday, June 19, 2017 in San Francisco, Calif.

Photo: Amy Osborne, Special To The Chronicle

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The Conservatory of Flowers light display, a part of the Citywide Summer of Love 50th anniversary, is tested before it's Wednesday night debut on Monday, June 19, 2017 in San Francisco, Calif.

The Conservatory of Flowers light display, a part of the Citywide Summer of Love 50th anniversary, is tested before it's Wednesday night debut on Monday, June 19, 2017 in San Francisco, Calif.

Photo: Amy Osborne, Special To The Chronicle

Image 3 of 64

The Conservatory of Flowers light display, a part of the Citywide Summer of Love 50th anniversary, is tested before it's Wednesday night debut on Monday, June 19, 2017 in San Francisco, Calif.

The Conservatory of Flowers light display, a part of the Citywide Summer of Love 50th anniversary, is tested before it's Wednesday night debut on Monday, June 19, 2017 in San Francisco, Calif.

Photo: Amy Osborne, Special To The Chronicle

Image 4 of 64

The Conservatory of Flowers light display, a part of the Citywide Summer of Love 50th anniversary, is tested before it's Wednesday night debut on Monday, June 19, 2017 in San Francisco, Calif.

The Conservatory of Flowers light display, a part of the Citywide Summer of Love 50th anniversary, is tested before it's Wednesday night debut on Monday, June 19, 2017 in San Francisco, Calif.

Photo: Amy Osborne, Special To The Chronicle

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Ben Davis of Illuminate, stands in front of a light display for a portrait at the The Conservatory of Flowers on Monday, June 19, 2017 in San Francisco, Calif.on Monday, June 19, 2017 in San Francisco, Calif.

Ben Davis of Illuminate, stands in front of a light display for a portrait at the The Conservatory of Flowers on Monday, June 19, 2017 in San Francisco, Calif.on Monday, June 19, 2017 in San Francisco, Calif.

Photo: Amy Osborne, Special To The Chronicle

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The Conservatory of Flowers light display, a part of the Citywide Summer of Love 50th anniversary, is tested before it's Wednesday night debut on Monday, June 19, 2017 in San Francisco, Calif.

The Conservatory of Flowers light display, a part of the Citywide Summer of Love 50th anniversary, is tested before it's Wednesday night debut on Monday, June 19, 2017 in San Francisco, Calif.

Photo: Amy Osborne, Special To The Chronicle

Image 7 of 64

The Conservatory of Flowers light display, a part of the Citywide Summer of Love 50th anniversary, is tested before it's Wednesday night debut on Monday, June 19, 2017 in San Francisco, Calif.

The Conservatory of Flowers light display, a part of the Citywide Summer of Love 50th anniversary, is tested before it's Wednesday night debut on Monday, June 19, 2017 in San Francisco, Calif.

Photo: Amy Osborne, Special To The Chronicle

Image 8 of 64

The Conservatory of Flowers light display, a part of the Citywide Summer of Love 50th anniversary, is tested before it's Wednesday night debut on Monday, June 19, 2017 in San Francisco, Calif.

The Conservatory of Flowers light display, a part of the Citywide Summer of Love 50th anniversary, is tested before it's Wednesday night debut on Monday, June 19, 2017 in San Francisco, Calif.

Photo: Amy Osborne, Special To The Chronicle

Image 9 of 64

Ben Davis of Illuminate, stands in front of a light display for a portrait at the The Conservatory of Flowers on Monday, June 19, 2017 in San Francisco, Calif.on Monday, June 19, 2017 in San Francisco, Calif.

Ben Davis of Illuminate, stands in front of a light display for a portrait at the The Conservatory of Flowers on Monday, June 19, 2017 in San Francisco, Calif.on Monday, June 19, 2017 in San Francisco, Calif.

Bob Weir of The Grateful Dead performs during the sound check at the Hollywood Bowl on September 15, 1967 in Los Angeles.

THEN: Bob Weir, The Grateful Dead

Bob Weir of The Grateful Dead performs during the sound check at the Hollywood Bowl on September 15, 1967 in Los Angeles.

Photo: Michael Ochs Archives

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Summer of Love musicians then and now

NOW: Bob Weir, The Grateful Dead

Bob Weir attends the 17th Annual Americana Music Festival & Conference at the Country Music Hall of Fame on September 22, 2016 in Nashville, Tennessee.

NOW: Bob Weir, The Grateful Dead

Bob Weir attends the 17th Annual Americana Music Festival & Conference at the Country Music Hall of Fame on September 22, 2016 in Nashville, Tennessee.

Photo: Terry Wyatt, Getty Images For Americana Music

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Summer of Love musicians then and now

THEN: Mickey Hart, The Grateful Dead

Mickey Hart in San Francisco in 1968.

THEN: Mickey Hart, The Grateful Dead

Mickey Hart in San Francisco in 1968.

Photo: Michael Ochs Archives

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Summer of Love musicians then and now

NOW: Mickey Hart, The Grateful Dead

Mickey Hart performs with spinoff band Dead and Company during the 2016 summer tour closing show at Shoreline Amphitheatre on July 30, 2016 in Mountain View.

NOW: Mickey Hart, The Grateful Dead

Mickey Hart performs with spinoff band Dead and Company during the 2016 summer tour closing show at Shoreline Amphitheatre on July 30, 2016 in Mountain View.

Photo: C Flanigan/Getty Images

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Summer of Love musicians then and now

THEN: Jefferson Airplane

Jefferson Airplane are credited with launching the San Francisco rock scene, but as the Chronicle points out, they were a "fractious, contentious group of strong personalities." Yet in spite of their clashes, the band "ruled over the Summer of Love."

Woodstock, Altamont, the Monterey Pop Festival: Jefferson Airplane played many of the major musical events of the late-1960s, and their breakout album, "Surrealistic Pillow," is considered the seminal psych-rock soundtrack of the Love Generation.

Artistic differences eventually got the best of the band. In 1972, they split off into two separate bands: Hot Tuna and Jefferson Starship.

Though the band was short-lived, it certainly made a mark on musical history. In 1996, Jefferson Airplane was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and last year it was awarded a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.

Grace Slick from Jefferson Airplane posed at Kralingen Festival in Rotterdam, Holland on June 26, 1970.

THEN: Grace Slick, Jefferson Airplane

Grace Slick from Jefferson Airplane posed at Kralingen Festival in Rotterdam, Holland on June 26, 1970.

Photo: Gijsbert Hanekroot/Redferns

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Summer of Love musicians then and now

NOW: Grace Slick, Jefferson Airplane

Grace Slick poses for a portrait at her art opening at Gallery 319 in Santa Monica, Calif. on May 16, 2009.

NOW: Grace Slick, Jefferson Airplane

Grace Slick poses for a portrait at her art opening at Gallery 319 in Santa Monica, Calif. on May 16, 2009.

Photo: Jim Steinfeldt/Getty Images

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Summer of Love musicians then and now

THEN: Jack Casady, Jefferson AirplaneJack Casady performs with Hot Tuna at the Santa Rosa County Fairgrounds in Santa Rosa in June 1977.

THEN: Jack Casady, Jefferson AirplaneJack Casady performs with Hot Tuna at the Santa Rosa County Fairgrounds in Santa Rosa in June 1977.

Photo: Ed Perlstein/Redferns

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Summer of Love musicians then and now

NOW: Jack Casady, Jefferson AirplaneJack Casady and Hot Tuna perform in a concert presented by The Raccoon Lodge on April 14, 2017 in New York.

NOW: Jack Casady, Jefferson AirplaneJack Casady and Hot Tuna perform in a concert presented by The Raccoon Lodge on April 14, 2017 in New York.

Photo: Al Pereira/Getty Images

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Summer of Love musicians then and now

THEN: Big Brother and the Holding Company

The Chronicle calls Big Brother and the Holding Company "one of the pillars of the San Francisco music scene." It's also the band that catapulted Janis Joplin to fame, with powerhouse hits like "Piece of My Heart" and "Combination of the Two."

According to original member David Getz, the band used to cruise around San Francisco in a black '54 Cadillac hearse. The band had a residency at the Avalon Club, but kept things mostly local until the Monterey Pop Festival of 1967.

"After Monterey Pop, that's when Big brother started to unravel," Getz said in a Chronicle editorial, citing the superstardom of Joplin as a major contributing factor.

The band is still playing, although only original members Dave Getz and Peter Albin remain in the lineup. They'll be bringing their signature psychedelic rock back to San Francisco on May 20 to play a show for the 50th anniversary of Huckleberry Youth Programs. Tickets are available here.

Above: Dave Getz, Sam Andrew and Peter Albin and Big Brother And The Holding Company perform on stage at Koh Samui Festival, Thailand, September 2005. (Photo by Martyn Goodacre/Getty Images)

Janis Joplin and Big Brother and the Holding Company perform live circa 1967 in San Francisco.

THEN: Big Brother and the Holding Company

Janis Joplin and Big Brother and the Holding Company perform live circa 1967 in San Francisco.

Photo: Ed Caraeff/Morgan Media/Getty Images

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Summer of Love musicians then and now

NOW: Dave Getz, Big Brother and the Holding Company

Dave Getz speaks onstage during a screening of 'Janis: Little Girl Blue' at Langham Hotel on January 19, 2016 in Pasadena, Calif.

NOW: Dave Getz, Big Brother and the Holding Company

Dave Getz speaks onstage during a screening of 'Janis: Little Girl Blue' at Langham Hotel on January 19, 2016 in Pasadena, Calif.

Photo: Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images

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Summer of Love musicians then and now

THEN: Big Brother and the Holding Company

Janis Joplin performs at the Winterland Ballroom, backed by Big Brother and the Holding Company.

THEN: Big Brother and the Holding Company

Janis Joplin performs at the Winterland Ballroom, backed by Big Brother and the Holding Company.

Photo: Ted Streshinsky Photographic Archive/Corbis Via Getty Images

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Summer of Love musicians then and now

NOW: Sam Andrew, Big Brother and the Holding Company

Sam Andrew performs with The Heroes of Woodstock at Route 66 Casino's Legends Theater on Dec. 31, 2009 in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

NOW: Sam Andrew, Big Brother and the Holding Company

Sam Andrew performs with The Heroes of Woodstock at Route 66 Casino's Legends Theater on Dec. 31, 2009 in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Photo: Steve Snowden/Getty Images

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Summer of Love musicians then and now

THEN: The Animals

Led by frontman Eric Burdon, the Animals got their start in Newcastle, England as a rhythm and blues band. Best known for their hit single "The House of the Rising Sun," the band eventually invaded the US by moving to California in 1966, under the new name Eric Burdon and Animals, writesRolling Stone.

The move cemented the Animals as bards of West Coast psychedelia, joining the Dead at the historic 1967 Monterey Pop Festival. By 1968, the band had broken up. The 1967 song "San Franciscan Nights" is an ode to their time among the hippies in the Bay Area.

The Animals are still rocking, with Burdon occasionally teaming up with the band for reunion shows. The group now consists of four members, only two of which — drummer John Steel and keyboardist Mick Gallagher — played in the original lineup.

Above: Eric Burdon and The Animals perform at the Cajun & Blues Music Festival in Simi Valley, Calif., on May 28, 2016.

Eric Burdon performs onstage at The Roxy Theatre on June 10, 2014 in West Hollywood, Calif.

Now: Eric Burdon, The Animals

Eric Burdon performs onstage at The Roxy Theatre on June 10, 2014 in West Hollywood, Calif.

Photo: Paul R. Giunta/FilmMagic

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Summer of Love musicians then and now

THEN: John Steel, The Animals

Posed portrait of John Steel in 1967, taken in an unspecified location in the U.K.

THEN: John Steel, The Animals

Posed portrait of John Steel in 1967, taken in an unspecified location in the U.K.

Photo: Brian Shuel/Redferns

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Summer of Love musicians then and now

NOW: John Steel, The Animals

Portrait
of John Steel, taken on September 13, 2011.

NOW: John Steel, The Animals

Portrait of John Steel, taken on September 13, 2011.

Photo: Rhythm Magazine

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Summer of Love musicians then and now

THEN: Lou Adler

Music executive and record producer Lou Adler was the man behind many of the influential West Coast bands of the 60s, including the Mamas and the Papas. 1967 was a busy year for Adler. Besides founding Dunhill Records, which produced six top-5 hits for the Mamas and the Papas, Adler co-produced the Monterey Pop Festival.

Later that year, he sold Dunhill to ABC and founded Ode Records, the same imprint that produced Carole King's legendary "Tapestry" album.

The 1970s ushered in a new era for the producer. After spotting Cheech and Chong in Los Angeles comedy clubs, he went on to produce a series of comedy albums for the duo, establishing them as the "most popular stoners in America," according to a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame bio on the producer. With an obvious gift for spotting kitsch and comedy, Adler then produced cult classic "The Rocky Horror Picture Show."

After being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2013, Adler discussed his legacy as a producer with Rolling Stone. "I never had a particular sound," he said. "I always tried to make the records about the artists and their particular sound."

As pioneers of folk rock, The Byrds blended influences of American folk music with that of the rock and roll emerging from England in the 1960s. Songs like "Turn! Turn! Turn!" and a cover of Bob Dylan's "Mr. Tambourine Man" elevated the band to stardom, but success quickly led to a breakup for the band that defined Los Angeles sound in the 1960s. After a series of personnel changes, the band officially disbanded in 1973.

Throughout the 80s, Gene Clark and Michael Clarke ruffled feathers for separately touring and performing under the name The Byrds. After Clark filed an application to trademark the name "The Byrds," McGuinn, Crosby and Hillman filed a counter-claim to trademark the name themselves, the LA Times reported in 1989.

Despite their scuffles, the band came together in 1991 for their induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. After Clarke's death, the remaining original members played together for the last time in 2000 before refocusing on their solo careers.

Above: Roger McGinn, Chris Hillman and David Crosby performing the classic song "Tambourine Man" at a benefit concert at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium, August 8, 2000.

The Stones' Summer of Love legacy is largely remembered for the band's headlining performance at Altamont Speedway Free Festival on Dec. 6, 1969 – their first performance in the U.S. since 1966. Nearly 300,000 people attended the show to see bands like Jefferson Airplane, Santana and The Flying Burrito Brothers perform.

The free concert turned sour quickly, as West Coast motorcycle gang Hells Angels, acting as security, failed to keep the situation under control. Within minutes of the start of the Stones' performance, fights had already broken out near the stage. When 18-year-old Meredith Hunter drew a revolver amid the chaos, a Hells Angel stabbed and killed him. Read the Chronicle's coverage of Altamont here.

Above: L-R Mick Taylor, Mick Jagger, Keith Richards and Tour Manager Sam Cutler take a break during their set to assess the damage at Altamont on Dec. 6, 1969 in Livermore, Calif.

The Stones, together since 1962 with relatively few changes in the lineup, are still playing 60 years after they first set out as a blues band in London. The band tours regularly and released an album of blues covers in 2016, called "Blue and Lonesome."

Keith Richards getting interviewed in Kingston, Jamaica while recording the "Goats Head Soup" album in Dec. 1972.

THEN: Keith Richards, The Rolling Stones

Keith Richards getting interviewed in Kingston, Jamaica while recording the "Goats Head Soup" album in Dec. 1972.

Photo: Shinko Music/Getty Images

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Summer of Love musicians then and now

NOW: Keith Richards, The Rolling Stones

Keith Richards of The Rolling Stones performs on the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury Festival 2013 on June 29, 2013.

NOW: Keith Richards, The Rolling Stones

Keith Richards of The Rolling Stones performs on the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury Festival 2013 on June 29, 2013.

Photo: Matt Cardy/Getty Images

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Summer of Love musicians then and now

THEN: Charlie Watts, The Rolling Stones

Charlie Watts performs at Wembley Empire Pool, London, Sept. 1973.

THEN: Charlie Watts, The Rolling Stones

Charlie Watts performs at Wembley Empire Pool, London, Sept. 1973.

Photo: Michael Putland/Getty Images

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Summer of Love musicians then and now

NOW: Charlie Watts, The Rolling Stones

Charlie Watts attends The Rolling Stones Exhibitionism opening night held at Industria Superstudio on Nov. 15, 2016 in New York City.

NOW: Charlie Watts, The Rolling Stones

Charlie Watts attends The Rolling Stones Exhibitionism opening night held at Industria Superstudio on Nov. 15, 2016 in New York City.

Photo: Brent N. Clarke/FilmMagic

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Summer of Love musicians then and now

THEN: Ronnie Wood, The Rolling Stones

Ronnie Wood performs at a Stones concert in 1976.

THEN: Ronnie Wood, The Rolling Stones

Ronnie Wood performs at a Stones concert in 1976.

Photo: Hulton Deutsch/Corbis Via Getty Images

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Summer of Love musicians then and now

NOW: Ronnie Wood, The Rolling Stones

Ronnie Wood performs at the Roundhouse Gala on March 16, 2017 in London, England.

NOW: Ronnie Wood, The Rolling Stones

Ronnie Wood performs at the Roundhouse Gala on March 16, 2017 in London, England.

Photo: David M. Benett/Dave Benett/Getty Images For Rou

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Summer of Love musicians then and now

THEN: The Who

Another English band to invade the Summer of Love scene was The Who, helmed by lead singer Roger Daltrey and guitarist Pete Townshend. The band headlined the Monterey Pop Festival, and according to The Who official website, Townshend had such a bad drug trip on the flight home, he never took psychedelics again.

The Who returned to California in 1973, and drummer Keith Moon continued the band's legacy of negative drug-fueled experiences in the Bay Area when he passed out onstage after overdosing on brandy and barbiturates. According to Rolling Stone, he managed to finish the set.

Above: (L-R) Pete Townshend (wearing a coat made out of a Union Jack flag), Keith Moon (wearing a The Who t-shirt), Roger Daltrey and John Entwistle.

Although original members John Entwistle and Keith Moon died in 2002 and 1978, Pete Townshend and Roger Daltrey continue to tour as The Who. The group marked its 50th anniversary with an international tour and will play five shows in Canada and the East Coast this July.

Above: The Who perform during the Super Bowl XLIV Halftime Show at Sun Life Stadium on Feb. 7, 2010 in Miami Gardens, Florida.

SAN FRANCISCO - CIRCA 1968: L-R: Bob Weir, Bill Kreutzmann, Jerry Garcia, Phil Lesh of the rock and roll group "The Grateful Dead" pose for a portrait session on Portrero Hill in circa 1968 in San Francisco,

For five years, conceptual artist Ben Davis rode his bicycle by the Conservatory of Flowers and wondered what it would look like as a screen for a light show.

On Wednesday night at 9:15 p.m., he will find out, along with an expected 10,000 spectators, when his installation “Photosynthesis” flashes to life as the pinnacle of the “Surrealistic Summer Solstice” free concert in Golden Gate Park and probably the peak moment in the citywide celebration surrounding the 50th anniversary of the Summer of Love.

Related video: Art in the Summer of Love

Summer of Love

Media: kat Duncan

“I would describe this as mildly trippy,” said Davis as he tested the lights for the first time Monday night. The show, which involves a series of psychedelic flowers and insect patterns projected onto the white glass exterior of the Conservatory, will run nightly from sundown until midnight through Oct. 21, funded privately through the San Francisco Parks Alliance.

Davis was also involved in the Bay Lights, which have draped the western span of the Bay Bridge in LED sculpture for four years. Anticipation is high for the Grand Lighting of the Conservatory, and it will build through a three-hour jam by a band of ’60s survivors at a stage set up along John F. Kennedy Drive near the Conservatory.

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Produced by Dawn Holliday of Hardly Strictly Bluegrass, the concert will roll out Country Joe McDonald to do the “Fish Cheer” and the Chambers Brothers to do “Time.” Founding members of Jefferson Airplane and Quicksilver Messenger Service will play “White Rabbit” to cue up the lights.

“Photosynthesis” will run in sequences of 15 or 20 minutes then start up again, with the lighting effect created by 10 projectors built into the refreshment kiosks outside the Conservatory. The artwork is a collaboration between Davis’ nonprofit studio, Illuminate, and Obscura Digital, known for lighting big structures like City Hall and the Empire State Building.